HB 1520: Use of Public Restrooms

The right to safe access to public restrooms is essential for any Hoosier who wishes to live a public life, and that includes transgender people. By imposing criminal charges against people for accessing facilities that don’t match their “biological gender” -- this bill unnecessarily criminalizes a group of citizens who already face enormous levels of violence and public harassment. Additionally, this bill could subject Hoosiers of any gender identity to genetic testing in order to prove their gender, an invasive requirement that would be difficult or impossible to enforce. Law enforcement officials from municipalities across the country that provide gender identity protections report no increase in crime committed in public restrooms. We oppose this discriminatory legislation.